Clothes rack



Aug. 3,1926. y 1,594,415

J. E. KALQREN CCCCCCCCCC CK Patented l-ug 3, l@

n a r JOHN E. KALGREN, OF IVIINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO THE J'. R. CLARK COMPANY, OE' MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNESOTA.

CLOTHES RACK.

vApplication filed July 29, 1925. Serial No. 46,780.

This invention provides an improvementin clothes .racks and, generally stated, consists oit the novel construction, combinations and arrangement ot parts hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

ln the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, lile characters indicate like parts throughoiit the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a clothes drying rack embodying the invention;

l? 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in section approximately on the line 2 2 ot Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan viewshowing one ot the split sleeves `forming' part ot the invention;

Fig. e is an end elevation of the sleeve shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. is a plan view showing one end oi one of the cross bars of the raclr.

The clothes rack proper may take various diil'erent forms, but, as shown, it is made up oit laterally spaced end bars G, 7 and 8 and a plurality olf' cross bars 9 and 9a connecting the corresponding end bars, as will hereinafter more il'ully appear.

'lhe invention residesin the connection between the cross bars and end bars. The end bars are iiat wooden members and the cross bars may ne either round or angular in cross section, but, as shown, are rectangular and at their ends have turned-down round or cylindrical trunnions 10 formed with centrally located grooves 11. Fig. 5 shows the normal torni ot the end portions ot the cross bars. To pivotally connect the end bars, ll provide split sleeves 12 preferably formed from stamped sheet meta-l and provided with flanged ends 13 and in one side each with an inwardly pressed knob 11i that 'form unyielding approximately semispherical bosses. The said split sleeves 12 are passed through perforations in and pivotally connect the overlapped upper ends of the bars 8, the lower ends of the bars 8 to the upper ends oit the bars 7, the intermediate portions of the bars 7 to the intermediate portions of the bars 6, the overlapped upper ends of the bars 6 6 and the overlapped lower ends of the bars 7 7. In the lower portions of the bars 6 are also applied sleeves l2 that are just like the sleeves 12, except that they are shorter, since they are each passed through only one bar, while the sleeves 12 are each passed through two overlapped bars.

The trunnions 10 on the ends of the bars are arranged to be inserted into the axially Y aligned sleeves in the opposite end bars. More delinitely stated, the trunnions 10 of the bars 9 are adapted to be forced into the axially aligned sleeves 12 that pivotally con nect 'the end bars, while the lower bars 9a are adapted to be forced into the shorter sleeves 12a in the legs ot the bars 6. In forcing the said trunnions'into the cooperating sleeves, the inwardly pressed bosses 14 will cut or depress grooves 15 in the trunnions 10 leading from the outer ends of said trunnions to the grooves 11, and the said bosses then become seated in the' grooves. When the bosses are seated in the grooves 11, there will be no danger of the cross bars becoming accidentally disconnected from the side bars, but, nevertheless, if it should become desirable to remove any one of the cross bars to replace a broken cross bar, or for any other reason, this may be easily done simply by turning the cross bar so that its groove aligns with the cooperating boss 14 and then pulling the said cross bar out of the cooperating sleeve. This provides a construction that permits the end bars to be pivotally connected at the factory and to be shipped in linocldown form with the cross bars disconnected and all of the parts or" the rack compactly folded in very small space. Obviously, the rack may be quickly assembled after it has been shipped to its destination.

The bosses 14 are located midway between the ends of the sleeves and the grooves 11 are correspondingly located in the trunnion ends of the cross bars, and, hence, the trunnions of the cross bars can be forced into either end of the cooperating sleeves, and while the cross rods will not be positively interlocked to the sleeves when inserted therein, nevertheless, they will be held therein with suiiicient security to prevent any accidental separation ot the cross rods trom the end members. By splitting the sleeves, they are made slightly eXpansible so that they will better adapt themselves to close frictional contact. with the trunnion ends of the cross bars, even it said trunnion ends should vary somewhat in diameter. What I claim is:

l. A clothes rack comprising end 1nein bers each formed by a plurality of end bars, sleeves pivotally connecting the end bars, and cross bars having trunnion ends inserted into vsaid sleeves, said sleeves having inwardly pressed approximately semi-spherical unyielding bosses and the trunnion ends of said cross bars having circumferential grooves into which the bosses of the cooperating sleeves are adapted to be forced.

2. A clothes rack comprising end ineinbers each formed by a plurality of end bars, sleeves pivotally connecting the end bars, and cross bars having trunnion ends inserted into said sleeves', said sleeves having inwardly pressed bosses and the trunnion ends of said cross bars having circumferential grooves into which the bosses oi' the cooperating sleeves are adapted to be forced7 the bosses of said sleeves being located midway between their ends, so that the trunnion ends of said cross bars may be inserted into either end of the cooperating sleeves.

3. A clothes rack comprising end inembers each formed by a plurality oli' end bars, sleeves pivotally connecting the end bars, and cross bars having trunnion ends inserted into said sleeves, said sleeves having inwardly pressed bosses and the trunnion ends of said cross bars having` circumferential grooves into which the bosses or' the cooperating sleeves are adapted to be forced, the said sleeves being split. and capable ot' expansion and contraction.

In testimony whereof I affix niy signature.

JOHN E. KALGREN. 

